Results are in. What was Bay’s top new attraction in 2025?

Readers of the News Herald voted Dolly Parton’s Pirates Voyage Dinner and Show as the best new local attraction in Panama City Beach.
The pirate-themed entertainment and dining experience officially opened in June 2025.
Topgolf and McGuire’s Irish Pub tied for second place in the online poll.
Other new attractions included in the poll were an Aldi grocery store and a new skate park.

PANAMA CITY BEACH − We asked and you answered.

Before Thanksgiving arrived, the News Herald asked what was your favorite local attraction that opened in 2025.

After one week of voting in our online poll, readers determined that the winner is Dolly Parton’s Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show, 16061 Panama City Beach Parkway.

Pirates Voyage is the music star’s premiere entertainment and dining experience. The attraction officially opened in June, debuting with delicious food and breathtaking acrobatics from the show’s pirate crew.

“I always find so much joy in developing entertainment projects that bring families together to create memories that will last long after their visit, and my new Pirates Voyage dinner show does that and more,” Dolly Parton said during her June visit. “Seeing my new show open here in Panama City Beach is another dream come true for me. I love going into new areas of the country and finding ways to bring truly world-class entertainment experiences to the folks there – and a great dinner feast, too! That would be my perfect way to spend a night out, especially at the beach.”

Tied for second in the poll were Topgolf in Pier Park and McGuire’s Irish Pub at 17290 Front Beach Road.

Topgolf opened in June, same as Pirates Voyage. The popular sports entertainment complex had people lined up itching to get in the door before the grand opening.

Topgolf’s price range for each day is as follows:

Friday, Saturday and Sunday: 9 a.m.-12 p.m., $40 per hour; 12-4 p.m., $52 per hour; 4 p.m.-close, $64 per hour.
Monday, Wednesday and Thursday: 9 a.m.-12 p.m., $33 per hour; 12-5 p.m., $44 per hour, 5 p.m.-close, $56 per hour.
HALF-PRICED Tuesdays: 9 a.m.-12 p.m., $16.50 per hour; 12-5 p.m., $22 per hour; 5 p.m.-close, $28 per hour.

“We’re just excited to have something like this so close to the beach,” Robin Weech, a Bay County local, said during the Topgolf grand opening in June. “We don’t have to make long unnecessary trips over the bridge to Panama City just for a driving range. I get to bring my own clubs, relax, and have some fun.”

McGuire’s Irish Pub opened on March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day) in Panama City Beach. It also has locations in Destin and Pensacola. The restaurant’s hours are 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. McGuire’s popular menu items include their New York strip and ribeye steaks.

“We pride ourselves on exceptional hospitality, servers, and bartenders,” Jeremy Merrill, general manager of the PCB McGuire’s Irish Pub, said in March. “We are also an entertainment venue. We bring entertainers from all across the United States, Portugal and Ireland.”

“Each restaurant we own in Florida has its own unique personality,” Merrill said. “Each of our locations has McGuire’s charm, but each restaurant has a different decor to them. The best thing about restaurant in Panama City Beach is the view of the Gulf from our restaurant.”

Here are the final poll results: